The first three days of RAGBRAI, these were the first sentences of our forecast posts: “An absolutely beautiful forecast in store…” on Monday, “Another beautiful day is in store today…” on Tuesday, and “Calm and beautiful weather has been the story for RAGBRAI thus far, and that story shows no sign of changing today.” on Wednesday. Well, this trend of rather lavish weather will be coming to an end today as RAGBRAI XLV heads to Charles City for 57.5 miles with 1,290 feet of climb. Charles City has hosted four times in the past, in 1982, 1996, 2002, and 2010. Riders will get to enjoy riding through Thornton, Swaledale, Rockwell, Cartersville, and Rockford.

The one word to describe today’s forecast: thunderstorms. The day will start out relatively mild compared to recent days in the lower 70s with mostly cloudy skies. Winds will be shifting from the southeast to the northeast clockwise throughout the day with a 5-8 MPH wind. Temperatures will struggle to reach 80° depending on the timing of rain and such. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to begin around mid-morning and picking up by the noon hour. A marginal risk of severe weather exists for today over Charles City; heavy rain and frequent lightning are the primary threats with damaging winds also possible. Please be prepared to seek appropriate shelter should Severe Thunderstorm Warnings be issued.

The remainder of RAGBRAI XLV in Cresco, Waukon, and Lansing looks to be similar to the previous headlines with highs in the upper 70s under sunny skies.